Family
by socks-lost
Summary: One of those completely AU stories involving marriage and children. Complete and total cheese. One-shot.


**A/N: **Wrote this because I've been toying with it in my head but mostly because I needed something light and fun after Not Okay (and if you read that, I'm sure you do to.) This is very AU. Very cheesy. Very fluffy. It's like candy. Embrace it. (Or don't. We've gone over this before.) But I had a blast writing it.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own the characters. Not making money. Etc.

* * *

Jane Rizzoli was not having a good day. It was Thursday night and she was stuck in the hospital with a "minor head trauma." No matter how many times she told the doctors she was fine, that she was only out of it for a few minutes and she was only just a tiny bit dizzy they still insisted on doing what seemed like endless tests and screens and scans and things she couldn't pronounce. It involved lots of poking and prodding and bright lights and way too much face time with a doctor she didn't bother remembering the name of. When the neurologist left her alone to go do whatever doctors do when they leave their patients annoyed and waiting on them, Jane saw a nurse walk by and waved her over. "Look, I need to go home. I'm fine. Let me sign the AMA papers and leave." She said trying her hand at persuading the no nonsense looking woman to let her leave.

"Detective Rizzoli." It was all Nurse Sheila had to say to make Jane shrink back into the bed. Sheila was the same person that was with her after Hoyt and the self-inflicted gunshot. "I know you, and you are not leaving until Dr. Patterson clears you. Now get some rest." She finished pointedly before walking off talking to another nurse about another patient.

Jane grumbled. This could not be happening to her. She just had to get hit in the head by some stupid perp with a stupid trashcan lid and she just had to collapse on the stupid ground un-freaking-conscious for a couple of stupid minutes. She sighed heavily looking at the ring on her left hand. She would've called Maura for a jailbreak but someone, probably Frost or maybe even Sheila she couldn't remember, had taken her belt off for her second scan. Frost had probably already called Maura anyways, and he probably blew the whole thing out of proportion. Maura was probably getting worried because she wasn't answering her phone. And fuck, she could feel the headache already pounding in the back of her head. Before she could wallow anymore the curtain around her was shoved away with a decisive _sching _and the-doctor-who-shall-not-be-remembered-because-of-mild-head-trauma-or-she-just-didn't-care stood before her reading some papers looking bored. Jane sighed again. Maybe she could convince _him_ to let her go. "I live with a doctor. I'm actually married to a doctor." Jane said throwing her left hand in his direction. He still didn't look up. "You don't understand, it's my kid's birthday tomorrow. She's going to be ten. It's a big deal. We have lots of things planned. Like a party. There'll be hats. And cake. And I have the day off. The whole weekend actually. And I'm _not_ spending that time locked up in here." Still the bored doctor said nothing. Jane growled, she was not above pulling the cop card. "I am a Boston Homicide Detective; you can't hold me here like a prisoner. I know my –" Just as she was getting fully into her argument she heard the telltale sounds of clicking heels and she stopped talking abruptly.

"Jane?" It was the sound of her wife calling her name. Jane closed her eyes with a sigh. Jane had heard Maura say her name now in many different ways. But this time the words were laced with fear, annoyance, trepidation, and maybe a little bit of amusement. Jane scowled at the last one. How dare Maura be _amused_ at her current plight? "Hello Eric."

Jane's eyebrows shot up. "Eric?"

Maura sent a glare in her direction and Jane promptly shut her mouth. "May I see the results of her tests?"

"Only if the patient agrees." Dr. Patterson answered. They both looked expectantly at Jane.

The woman in question rolled her eyes. "I've been sitting here for over an hour and haven't dropped dead yet. I'm fine." If Jane thought Maura's glare from a few seconds ago was dangerous the one she got for that fine quip was downright feral. Oh, she was going to pay for that one later. "I mean, yes." The second the word was out of her mouth Maura pulled the curtain around with a resounding _sching _and, if Jane was being honest, a bit of a rattle. Yup, she decided, definitely paying for that one later.

Jane lost track of time forcing herself to stay awake as she waited for her wife and Doctor…Eric to come back. Why was Maura on first name basis with him anyways? She crossed her feet laying further back into the pillow she was resting on and interlaced her fingers on her stomach. She started replaying the takedown in her head. She and Frost were moving throughout the apartment like they had done together now for years. They were going by the book with their weapons drawn, no funny business. They were even wearing Kevlar. Then there was a lot of noise all at once. She saw their mark climbing out of the window and naturally followed him down the fire escape while she yelled at Frost to catch him at the bottom. That was mistake number one. Frost would never get out of the building and around to the fire escape before they hit the street. She continued to chase after their suspect who was believed to be involved in a double homicide. She was so close to him she could _almost _catch him, if only she was a couple seconds faster or had a longer stride. But she wasn't faster and they ended up in an alley. She was alone without backup facing a guy twice her size. That was mistake number two. Then mistake three came soon after, followed by four and five. There was movement and a noise to her left, to which she turned taking her eye off the suspect for a barely there brief of a moment (three.) She knew he was coming and ducked the punch he threw (not a mistake because it was awesome.) Then she popped up to her feet too soon (four) and he came after her again but this time with a lid to a trashcan and she couldn't duck (five.) She ended the fabulous adventure in Things Cops Shouldn't Do: Volume Six by waking up in an ambulance with a "holy shit" being uttered from her mouth (classy.) And now she was in the hospital.

Before she could contemplate her stupidity any longer another loud _sching _and a gust of wind happened. Before she could stop herself she snapped. "Just leave it open, it's not like I'm naked." Her eyes immediately landed on Maura's hazel ones. The doctor, the one she was married to who wasn't at all boring, had one delicate, manicured eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry." The sass and sarcasm immediately left Jane; all she had left was sincerity. "I'm sorry I'm an ass. And I'm sorry for getting myself hurt."

"Jane," Maura sat on the bed next to her wife grabbing her hand. "You're not an ass. You're in pain. Sarcasm is a mechanism you use to hide how much of it you're actually in. I know you don't mean it." She squeezed Jane's hand leaning into her shoulder. "I know your job is dangerous, Jane. I knew that when I became friends with you and I knew it when I married you. I do appreciate it though that since adopting the children you've gotten much more serious about your safety. Sometimes things can't be helped." She kissed Jane's temple. "Let's go home."

Jane sighed into Maura's touch. She squeezed Maura's hand back. She was the luckiest person in the world. "I can go home?"

Maura chuckled slightly at the excitement in Jane's words. "While under normal circumstances I would make you stay in the hospital but as you were telling Eric, we have plans. And well, I _am _a doctor. I think," She leaned in to whisper into Jane's ear dropping her voice as she spoke. "I think, I am _very _qualified to look after your wellbeing. Am I correct, Jane?"

A shiver ran up and down Jane's spine. She could literally hear the woman smirking. "Definitely." She squeaked. That whole thing about paying for it later? Yeah, she was definitely paying for it, in spades and gold and diamonds and Jimmy Choos. She felt Maura rise off the bed.

Jane threw her legs over the bed so her feet hit the ground. Before she could stand Maura's hand was on her shoulder. "Careful." And just like that the worried wife and doctor face were back on. Jane knew Maura talked a big game (delivered most of the time too) but sometimes she just couldn't help it. And Jane couldn't hold it against her. So instead of making some remark about how she wasn't an invalid she gave her wife her hand and stood with her help. Marriage, she had learned, was about compromise and sometimes Maura really needed to take care of her for her own piece of mind and sometimes she needed to be taken care of.

…

Hours later she was lying on the couch with her head in Maura's lap as the other woman stroked her hair. Maura was talking about their kids. They had two, Emma and Troy. Emma was the one with the birthday. She was ten going on forty. When they adopted her she was five and had already been through a string of foster homes. It wasn't that the homes were bad or that she was abused. Jane shuddered at the thought. The families were just too big, and Emma not being the oldest or the youngest was thrown in the middle somewhere always forgotten. Their daughter always reminded Jane of Maura. Troy just turned three, he was a baby when they decided to adopt him. She was so lost in thought and Maura's voice recounting bath time that she jumped from her position on Maura's lap when the door opened. Her vision swam for a moment. Maura rubbed her back. "It's just your mother and the kids." Jane nodded taking a few even breaths before turning to look at the not so intruding intruders. Emma was holding her mother's hand and Troy was nestled, looking cozy in her arms. She grinned at them.

Emma stepped forward letting go of the hand she was holding. "Mom got hurt, that's why we had to go to grandma's isn't it?" She inquired to Maura.

"I'm fine, kiddo." Jane said. She wanted to reach out and assure her daughter but being neglected for the first five years of her life made her have a thing about physical contact of any kind. She bit her lip. Emma ignored Jane, looking solely at Maura. Jane rolled her eyes, leaning back into the couch. "Geeze, Maura you've already trained her."

Maura grinned at her daughter. "Your mother is not in any immediate peril. She will be fine in a couple days."

Emma looked even wearier after the words were spoken. "Mom needs to rest then. I don't need a birthday party tomorrow."

Jane felt her heart actually ache at her daughter's words. She turned to Maura who looked equally as affected. "Why don't you go with Ma to put the little man to bed? I got this." She said quietly patting Maura on the leg. Maura kissed her on the cheek before rising and gesturing Angela to their son's room. Once they were alone, Jane turned to her daughter giving her a knowing look. "You want to know what happened?" She asked. Of course not the real what happened, more of the childproof abridged version.

Emma took a step forward. "You were chasing a bad guy and you got hurt. That's all you're going to tell me."

Jane laughed. "You really are too smart sometimes." She glanced around the room looking for something until her eyes landed on the badge that was resting on the coffee table. She had been right earlier. Ronda had taken her belt off and given it to Maura when she saw her. She grabbed the badge scooting closer to the edge of the couch and looked at Emma. "Do you know why I'm a cop?"

"So you can catch bad guys." The little girl answered innocently.

Jane nodded her head. "But that's not all."

"It's not?"

"Nope. See this badge," She brought the badge up to eyelevel. "It's my fourth proudest accomplishment in my life. You want to know what the other three are?" Emma nodded. "You, your brother, and your mom." She answered quietly. "And I do my job because I want to keep all of you safe. I don't want you to see the bad things in life because I love you so much." Jane put her badge back down. Maura saw Angela out the back and stood in the doorway watching her wife talk to their daughter with a smile on her face. Jane looked into Emma's light brown eyes. "Your old mom's pretty tough but I want you to know that I would give it all up if I had to for you."

"Don't do that!" Emma said aghast at the thought.

Jane smiled. "You like telling people your mom's a cop?"

"Detective." Emma instantly corrected with her own smile and a nod of her head.

"That's my girl." Jane swept away the hair that had fallen in Emma's eyes. She placed her hands on both of Emma's shoulders getting eye level with her. She took a deep breath, how was she supposed to word this? "If anything happens to me, nothing will but if it does, I want you to know that this is where you belong. You're not going anywhere. You're a Rizzoli-Isles through and through." Jane knew the words were right when her daughter who severely hated hugs willingly wrapped her arms around her neck as tight as she could. Jane stood to her feet allowing the little one to wrap her legs around her. She held her daughter rubbing her back. Maura felt tears burn in her own eyes at the sight. "You're my daughter." Jane continued. "And your mother's daughter. And if anything ever happens to either of us, you're still going to be loved."

The little girl buried her face further into Jane's neck. "I love you, Mom." And the hold Jane had on her emotions just exploded like a dam on its last leg.

"I love you too, Kiddo. So much." She felt her knees start to go a little weak so she made her way back to the couch to sit down.

Maura finally walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Emma climbed over Jane to hug Maura. "I love you too, Mama." Emma said giving Maura the same thorough hug that Jane got. Jane took the time to wipe her eyes dry.

Maura raised an eyebrow at Jane before returning the hug tightly trying to confirm everything Jane had said. "And I love you, Emma." After a few moments of hugging Emma moved to sit in between her two mothers. "So does this mean you still want your birthday party tomorrow?"

Emma looked Jane over with a critical eye. "If mom's up to it."

Jane's jaw dropped. "Are you asking if _I'm _up for a party?" Emma couldn't keep the grin from her face any longer and burst into giggles when Jane and Maura started tickling her sides. "Of course I'm up for it! There's cake. And ice cream. And a piñata. And those little party hats. It's going to be great!"

"What's a piñata?" Emma asked still giggling.

"Oh my god," Jane groaned in mock annoyance. "You are your mother's daughter."

Emma turned to Maura when Jane didn't answer her question. "I didn't know either." Maura said with a laugh. "Apparently it's a paper mache container in the shape of, well yours is a donkey, and it's suspended in the air where you hit it with a stick to make candy fall out of it?" Maura finished questionably looking at Jane. She was still unsure about the whole thing. By the end of her explanation Emma looked just as unsure about the whole thing as well.

Jane nodded her head. "That's exactly what it is. And it's fun." Jane looked at her watch. "And wow it is way past your bed time, kid."

Maura looked at her own watch. "Oh! It is very late."

"But I'm not tired!" Emma whined.

Then both Jane and Maura's jaws really did drop in shock. "Do my ears deceive me or did you just complain about going to bed?" Maura asked with a poke to the tummy.

"Come on," Jane patted Emma's knee. "The sooner you go to bed the sooner you can wake up and open your presents, and eat cake, and discover how fun a piñata really is." And then Emma practically ran to her room. Jane laughed.

"You are so good with her, with them both." Maura stood offering Jane her hand.

Jane took the help and stood. "Does that mean I'm forgiven for the comment I made at the hospital?"

Maura grinned walking past Jane to go tuck Emma in bed. "Not even close."


End file.
